Foot tool



Jan. 29, 1957 B. z. FURR ETAL 2,779,262

FooT TOOL med oct. 29, 195s 2 Sheets-Sheet l giga ATTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1957 B. z. FURR ET AL FOOT TOOL.

2 SheehS-Sheeil 2 Filed Oct. 29. 1955 ATTORNEY United States Patent@ FOOT TOOL Beecher Zeblin Furi', Robert C. Furr, and Marion O. Harrill, Jr., Charlotte, N. C.

Application October 29, 1953, Serial No. 388,948

Claims. (Cl. 97-61) The present invention relates to an improved foot tool adapted to be removably attached to the shoe and more lhave generally been carried out with hand tools such'as hand hoes, cultivators, dibbles and the like even though there have been a number of suggestions to provide attachments for shoes so that such operations might be performed by foot power and that a number of gardening operations can be easily and comfortably performed by foot power. The foot tools which previously have been suggested have been primarily designed for only one gardening operation and, consequently were rather bothersome to use when different gardening operations were to be carried out alternately or sequentially by the same person.

lt is an object of the present invention to provide a novel tool holder for attachment to a shoe and to which a number of tools may be interchangeably attached in a simple and facile manner.

lt is a further object of the present invention to provide a foot tool holder adapted and arranged to permit easy interchangeable attachment of tools without the necessity of complete removal of the holder from the shoe.

The foot tool according to the invention comprises a holder to which a number of individual tools can be interchangeably attached. The holder is generally shaped to conform to the shape of the foresole of a shoe and is adapted to be secured under the foresole of a shoe,

for example, by means of straps passing over the shoe.

The holder, preferably on its underside, is provided with means adapted to receive the individual interchangeable tools, and means are provided on such holder cooperating with the shoe sole so as to lock the individual interchangeable tool securely in place as long as the holder is held snugly against the bottom of the shoe sole, but upon loosening of the holder from its position against the shoe sole will permit easy withdrawal and interchange of the individual tools.

The accompanying drawings show, by way of example, several views of a tool holder according to the invention and several forms of interchangeable tool attachments for use in conjunction with such holder.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side view of a tool holder according to the invention partially secured to a shoe with an interchangeable tool in position to be locked in place.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the tool holder 4shown in Fig. l when fully secured to a shoe with the interchangeable tool locked in place.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the tool holder shown in Fig. 1 fully secured to a shoe with another interchangeable tool locked in place.

lice

and interchangeable tool shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is a top view partially in section of the tool holder with interchangeable tool shown in Fig. 3 shown in dotted lines.

Figs. 6 and 7 show two further modifications of interchangeable tools for use with the tool holder.

Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 4 of the drawings, the curved bottom plate 1 of the tool holder generally conformsto the shape of a foresole of a shoe and is adapted to be strapped to the shoe 2 of the operator by straps 3 and 4` interchangeable tool 5, which in this instance is a substantially flat blade having its forward end which extends beyond the shoe sharpened to permitA weed cutting and/or hoeing action, is carried by its shank in U-shaped members 6 and 7 projecting below plate 1 and locked in position by pin 8 which passes through hole 9 in plate 1 and then through hole 10 in such tool. Pin 8 is carried by resilient member 11 which normally urges such pin upwardly and out of engagement with hole 9 as shown in Fig. l, but when the holder is drawn up snugly against'the sole of the shoe as shown in Fig. 2, it will be pressed downwardly by the `shoe sole and pass through hole 10in the tool and lock the tool carried by members 6 and 7 in position.

An upwardly projecting front end 21 is provided on plate 1 which not only protects the 'toe of the shoe of the operator during use of the foot tool, but also prevents t the plate from sliding backwards during use of the tool.

A further U-shaped member 12 is provided towards the rear of plate 1 which in conjunction with U-shaped member 7 can serve to receive a diterently shaped inter changeable tool which is better adapted for use when it is held `rearwardly from the front end of plate 1, `such p as, is, for example, shown in Figs. E and 5, wherein a if desired, to form such U-shaped members from a separate piece of metal and attach their free ends to plate 1. Furthermore, it is within the purview of the invention to provide other equivalent means than U-shaped members for receiving the individual interchangeable tools which are to be locked in place by pin 8, it only being necessary that such means permit a portion or portions of the tool to be held thereby against the bottom of plate 1, but permit withdrawal or insertion of the tool when such tool is not locked in position by pin 8.

Fig. 6 shows an interchangeable tool 14 of modified form which is suitable for cutting and weeding operations. In this instance the tool is provided with cut out portions 15, 16 and 17 so as to provide tongues 18 and 19 which can be slid into U-shaped members 6 and 7 to permit the tool to be locked in position by pressing pin 8 through hole 10 provided therein.

Fig. 7 shows another interchangeable tool 20 adapted for cultivating purposes. Such tool, similar to the tool shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4, has a shank which can be passed through U-shaped members 6 and 7 and be locked in position by pressing pin 8 through hole 10 provided there- 1n.

As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the foot tool according to the invention permits easy attachment and interchange of the individual tools on the holder provided without the necessity of removing the holder completely from the shoe of the operator. For insertion or interchange of a tool it is, for example, merely necessary to pressure of Athegshoe sole against resilient member-11 sothat pin 8 is automatically d rawn upwardly out of locking position b y suh resilient member, so vas to permit withdrawaloj-any toolfwhieh may already `have been held by the holdeifthen inserting another ltoolin the appropriate i' i i ed members 16 v and-'7 or-l and l12!.andfinally'tightening strap 3 "so that-the shoe soleipriesses resilient member 11 and pin 8 carried therebyinto locking position.

l. In a foot'tool, a tool holder,'means for removably attachingsuch tool holder snugly against the bottom of a sole of avsh'oe,- means on said toolholder for removablyattaching rindividual tools to said lholder, said lastnamed means including a lresilient member earried by the'f'tool-holder, a detent carried by such resilient member, said resilient vmember anddetent cooperating with the 'bottom ofthe shoe Asole for locking the individual tool in position when said tool Yholderis attached snugly against the bottom Vof the shoesole and releasingrsuch tool when at least-a lportion of said tool holder is moved out of snug engagement with the bottom ofthe shoe sole. Y' i 2. nIn a foot tool, a tooleholder comprising a plate member conforminggenerally to-the shape of the v`foresoleof a shoe, means for removably attaching `said plate member snugly against the bottom of the sole of the shoe, means on said plate memberl for removably attaching individual tools thereto, said last-named means ineluding retaining means for holding the individual tools against the bottom of the plate member, but `permitting with drawal andinsertion of the individual tools therein, Va resilient member carriedl by the tool holder, and a detent Carried by such resilient member, said resilient member and detent ycooperating with thebottom of the shoe sole forlocking the individual tool held by -said retaining means in position "when said'plate member is attached snugly againstthe bottom vof the shoe sole and 'releasing sneh toolso Vthat -it can'Y be withdrawnfromisa'id retaining Y means when at leaxstfa portion ofsaidplate member is vmoved out ofsnug engagement with the bottom ofthe shoe sole.

V3. In a foot tool, a tooll holder comprising a plate member con-forming `generally `to ,the rshape ,.of. the .foresole of a shoe, means for removably attaching said plate member snugly against thefbottom of the sole of the shoe, means on said plate member for removably attaching individual tools thereto, said last-named means including a plurality of U-shaped retaining means extending downwardly from the bottomy ofth'e plate member adapted to receive and hold the individualrtool against the bottom of the plate member, but permitting withdrawal and inscrtion of the individualtool therein, a resilient member carried by the tool holder and a detent carried by such resilient member, n. saidresilientmember and detent co operating with the bottom of the shoe sole for locking the individual tool held by saidretaining means in position when said plate member is attached snugly against the bottom of the shoe sole and releasing such tool so that it can be withdrawn from said retaining means when at least a portion offsaid plate member Vis movedout of snug engagementwith the bottom of the shoe sole, said 4resilient member normally urging saidrdetent out of 1ocking position.

4. A tool holder accordingto claim 3, in which said plate member carries -at-least three of said U-shaped 1retaining means of which two are on the forward end .of

such plate and one is on the rearward end of saidfplate. `5. MA tool holder according to claim 3, in which .said

`,plate member has an upwardly turned flange at its ffor` ward end.

References `Cited in .the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

